


old familiar carols play

by jolybird



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas Fluff, Gen, Hospitals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-06
Updated: 2019-12-06
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:47:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21690088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jolybird/pseuds/jolybird
Summary: Okay, so, Bossuet wasn't in the hospital often enough that the staff knew his name--only often enough that they recognized him as Combeferre's friend. The semi-frequent trips to the A&E were okay because he knew he had friends and family who would always be there for him, just like an old Christmas carol.
Relationships: Enjolras/Grantaire (Les Misérables), Joly/Bossuet Laigle/Musichetta, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 28





	old familiar carols play

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know why I don't write everything in Bossuet's POV because I love it. It's a bit of just channeling the shrug emoji and, personally, I feel like we should all do that a bit more often. 
> 
> Also I think that was the corniest summary I've ever written and for that I apologize.

Sometimes Joly would flop around in his sleep and hit Bossuet with an errant limb so Bossuet want a stranger to waking up sore. This time however, he didn’t wake to his boyfriend’s apologetic smile but to Combeferre who looked textbook Disappointed. Combeferre frowned down at him in his scrubs and Bossuet knew he had fucked up even before he took in the bright fluorescent lights and the din of the busy hospital. 

“They brought you in unconscious.” Combeferre said in a tone that screamed  _ again _ and  _ I’m tired of you scaring me like this.  _

Bossuet rubbed his eyes and stifled a yawn, “Good because I don’t know how I got here.” 

“Joly’s pissed at you.” Combeferre told him in the same tone and and if Joly was angry then he wasn’t badly hurt. 

“You called Joly?” He flexed his fingers, and then just to be safe, also his toes. All were accounted for, if a bit bandaged at the moment. He didn’t feel that bad, a little sick, a little sore but other than that,  _ fine _ . 

“I didn’t actually, one of the nurses did. He and ‘chetta are staying at her parent’s until tonight but they’ve instructed me upon pain of death to stay with you until they get here. I was supposed to be off an hour ago so I want you to remember this when you’re getting me my gift this year.” 

Bold of him to assume his gift hadn’t been wrapped for half a year already, “What’s the sitch this time, doc?”

It was a testament to how long they’ve been friends that he didn’t bat an eye, “Frostbite on your fingers and toes and pneumonia.” 

“Seasonal. Nice.” 

Combeferre opened his mouth to respond and then decided he’d rather go talk to one of the other nurses and ignore him. Bossuet hoped he wasn’t stuck in here for too long. He still had a bunch of gifts to wrap for everyone. 

“Where’s R?” he called and Combeferre came back over. 

“He was here for about two seconds to make sure you were alright and then he ran off again. I think he’s babysitting his nieces?” 

Bossuet suddenly remembered how he had spent his morning, “Oh shit I was supposed to be picking up their costumes. That’s what I was doing.” 

Combeferre’s eyes went wide and then he nodded, “that makes sense. He seemed rather fidgety and guilty.” 

“Their concert is tomorrow night. I’m going to make it aren’t I?” 

Combeferre nodded, smiling slightly, “You should be out in a bit as long as the tests come back fine. You didn’t hit your head or anything when you fell seeing as you fell into a snowbank.”

“The tests always come back fine.” Bossuet nodded, and then coughed. 

Combeferre frowned in sympathy, “let me go grab someone and I have a change of clothes for you in my locker so you don’t have to dig through lost and found again.”

Bossuet tried to make himself more comfortable on the bed but his pillows were horrid and someone was playing horrible Christmas music from what sounded like a cassette player that had somehow survived the nineties nearby. He had to get out of here. Combeferre said he had just passed out in the snow. Had he eaten that morning? Was he that sick? 

He puffed his cheeks out and glanced around the hospital. He was in the emergency room but one of the nurses at the counter kept glancing in his direction and then at a chart so he was probably about to either be kicked out or moved. The last time he earned a room was when he had a concussion and simultaneously broke his shoulder blade and a single bone in his foot. 

Macaroon accident. 

The hospital wasn’t that busy which was how it should be and quiet for the most part. There were a couple people milling around looking slightly concerned but nothing to write Shonda Rhimes about. 

The cassette player still drolled on,  _ please have snow and mistletoe and presents under the tree.  _

From the corner of his eye he spotted two suspicious figures creeping down the hall. One was blond and one was ginger with oversized work boots that Bossuet could hear over the din of the hospital machinery. His eyes went to the blond who kept glancing around them like he was expecting an attack. Wait...

That looked like Enjolras. 

Actually. That  _ was _ Enjolras and Feuilly looking particularly dodgy on the other side of the room. Curious. 

Enjolras’ arm was in a cast and Feuilly was wearing an unfortunate sweater that clearly wasn’t his own.  _ Very  _ curious. 

They whispered amongst themselves, glancing around in a way that caroled that this wasn’t a Combeferre-approved work visit. Good luck to them if they were going to try to hide a broken arm from him. Bahorel had tried once and it had ended in tears for several people (including Combeferre but excluding Bahorel). 

Combeferre walked back over, blocking the pair from view. “I don’t know if I like that expression on your face.” 

Bossuet paused, considered if he wanted to be  _ that _ friend, and then decided, yeah, he did, “Enjolras and Feuilly are sneaking out that side exit.” 

Combeferre’s face went blank and he turned around so slowly, Bossuet felt himself get goosebumps. Feuilly froze mid-step when he felt the heat of Combeferre glare upon him. This made Enjolras laugh and soon their escape was thwarted by laughter. 

“Wait here. I’m going to kick their asses I  _ know _ he broke his arm decorating.” 

Bossuet bit back a sarcastic comment on how he literally couldn’t go anywhere with an IV in his arm and just tapped his fingers on the bed and watched as Enjolras and Feuilly tried to control their laughter and prepare themselves for their doom. 

Their doom lasted about thirty seconds in which Combeferre put his hands on his hips, Enjolras rolled his eyes and shrugged and Feuilly looked a little sick even as he laughed. Combeferre swept his arm back and the two men looked over to Bossuet. He waved. Feuilly waved back and Enjolras led the way back over. 

“What happened to you?” Feuilly asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. Enjolras opted for shoving him over and leaning against his pillows. Bossuet shifted to make room for him and Enjolras dramatically positioned his cast on top of the both of them for maximum aesthetic. 

“Frostbite and pneumonia.” 

He quickly looked to Combeferre to see if he was fucking with him or not, “Um--how the hell did you manage that?” 

Bossuet just shrugged. 

“How long is he trapped here for?” 

“Is there blood on the apartment floor?” Combeferre asked instead of answering. 

Enjolras’ eyes went wide, considering something. “Someone call Courfeyrac immediately.” 

Feuilly looked down at his phone, “too late, Marius is calling me.” 

Bossuet took his phone and answered it for him, “Marius, forget about Enjolras--I'm in the hospital.” 

“Why is there  _ blood _ on the _ apartment floor  _ and why are you in the  _ hospital _ ?” Marius asked breathlessly. 

“I have frostbite and pneumonia. You’ll have to give me my gift early.” 

Marius snorted and then asked again, “are you okay? And you mentioned Enjolras is he okay too?” 

“I’m fine.” Enjolras said, into the phone. 

“He’s broken his arm we’re both in the hospital. Call Grantaire immediately.” Bossuet could barely get the words out around his smile. 

“Do not.” Combeferre, Feuilly and Enjolras all said at the same exact time. Bossuet shivered. He hated group chanting. 

“I’m already out, we’re just visiting with Bossuet now.” 

Combeferre made the little noise he always made when he realized he was sitting on important information, “Oh, did I tell you you’re not contagious? It’s viral pneumonia which usually only people with a weakened immune system get from soil, your strain isn’t spread from person to person. I’m not even going to question how you caught it.” 

Enjolras went to move away like he had forgotten pneumonia was usually contagious and Bossuet glanced to him, highly offended he would abandon him over a chance of getting pneumonia. 

“Well that’s good news at least.” Feuilly smiled

“Is that  _ blood _ ” Courfeyrac’s voice came from the phone, off in the distance, high-pitched and there was a thud as he presumably dropped something to the ground in a fit of dramatics. 

“It's okay he's already been discharged we’re just waiting to see when Bossuet can go home.” Marius said, slightly muffled as if he was halfheartedly covering the phone. 

“Who are you on the phone with.” Courfeyrac asked, getting closer. 

“Bossuet, Combeferre, Feuilly and Enjolras.” 

“I bet it was Enjolras. What’s he done? Are you facetiming him?” 

“Oh.” Marius said and then the call was disconnected. Enjolras quickly shifted his arm up slightly so it was clearly visible in the shot. 

When Bossuet answered the call, both Courfeyrac and Marius were there and someone was moving around in the background. “Oh look at you. R--you have two people to take care of now!”

“I have what?” Grantaire asked and then hissed, “will you clean that up I can only keep them contained for so long.” 

“Enjolras is in the hospital as well.” Courfeyrac sounded a bit too gleeful. 

“I’m not!” Enjolras protested and lowered his arm so quickly he winced and elbowed Bossuet in the stomach.

“We came here because Bossuet was in the hospital and now Enjolras is as well? So there’s no one left to help with the concert?” Grantaire shouted across the room and there was the sound of his nieces trying to talk to him. 

“I told you Bahorel’s going to pick up the costumes and I’m sure they’ll help as soon as Bossuet’s released.” Courfeyrac shouted back, exasperated. Naelle and Leyna weren’t that unruly. 

“Tests aren’t back yet.” Combeferre said and glanced up, “or, actually maybe they are. Hold on.” He went off back across the room. 

“Even if I’m not released today, I’ll send everyone to help.” Bossuet assured them as Courfeyrac ran off to presumably clean up Enjolras’ crime scene. 

“Girls, they are all examples of what you shouldn’t do.” Grantaire told them, appearing on the screen next to Marius briefly. 

“Hullo, Uncle Bossuet.” Naelle took the phone as her uncle went to help clean the mess. “Which one is Uncle R’s boyfriend?” Bossuet glanced to Enjolras to catch the look on his face and she must have taken it as confirmation because she gasped, “ohhh--you’re so pretty. What happened? Don’t worry, Uncle R will take good care of you. He’ll make you hot cocoa with milk so your bones get strong and the next time they won’t break. Actually, hurry up. He’ll put it on now.” 

“Oh, don't put it on yet, we don’t know when—“ from across the room, Combeferre jerked his thumb towards the door. “Oh, actually, I’m free. Have your uncle put the cocoa on, we’re on our way!” 

“Really?”

Bossuet glanced to Combeferre and then another nurse, Ambre, came over. “I can go see my nieces today right? Or am I contagious?”

“No,you’re not contagious. You’re safe for visitation.”

“Thank you.” He smiled and she started fussing about. “I’ll see you in a bit!”

“Yay! Uncle Bossuet is coming home!” Naelle cried and then hung up on him. 

Enjolras sighed as soon as Bossuet put the phone down. 

“Oh chin up, the girls love you.” 

“I’ve never met them?” Enjolras' glance read that he was terrified of meeting anyone important to Grantaire. Grantaire's sister loved him although Enjolras hadn't realized Mina from the gym was the same Mina Grantaire blamed his broken nose on. _That_ was something Bossuet wanted to be there to see. 

Bossuet frowned, he hadn’t realized that. Grantaire babysat all the time for his sister and he just assumed that as often as the pair hung out together, their paths would have crossed by now. “Oh, I’m glad I’m here for this.”

Combeferre chased Enjolras and Feuilly off so Bossuet could get discharged in peace (they circled back the moment Combeferre went to clock out and made fun of him for having a change of clothes in Combeferre’s locker). Bossuet was going to make sure Enjolras' coffee was just out of reach for the next week as revenge. 

* * *

The door was open and waiting for them when they reached the flat. Grantaire’s nieces ushered them inside. It was clear they wanted to shower them in fanfare but were holding back on account of them coming from the hospital. 

“Welcome, welcome, we prepared a spot for you two.” Naelle said in mock seriousness. 

Bossuet and Enjolras were shepherded to the couch that was piled high with pillows and blankets. The girls tucked them in and gave them cocoa. Someone had drawn little smiling faces on the whipped cream with mini chocolate chips and syrup. After they were tucked in on opposite sides of the couch (Bossuet felt very regal and the cocoa was just what he needed), Naelle held out her hand for Enjolras to shake. He put his cocoa down and shook her hand seriously, “I’m Enjolras.” 

“Naelle and this is my little sister, Leyna” 

He shook her hand as well. She looked like she was only just holding back giggles. 

Naelle moved Leyna by her shoulders out of the way so she could stand directly in front of Enjolras. “If you hurt Uncle R, I will dismember you and they won’t find your body until the fucking spring.” She chirped, looking way too pleased with herself. 

The room stilled. Oops, Bossuet had one hundred percent said that but in his defense, he hadn’t realized she was listening.

Enjolras nodded seriously, “I understand.” 

Courfeyrac and Feuilly roared with laughter as Grantaire came rushing into the room, “Naelle!” He shouted, picking her up. She squirmed as she tried to escape but she only succeeded in turning herself upside down. She let her hands hang over her head, defeated. 

“I’m so sorry about her. She is an ungodly terror and the smaller one isn’t much better.” Grantaire said, valiantly ignoring the blush overtaking his face. 

The smaller one was currently worming her way in between Enjolras and Bossuet on the couch, tucking herself in beneath both of their blankets. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be helping them?” Bossuet asked her. She smiled sweetly and shook her head. 

Naelle cried out in outrage and Grantaire carried her off into another room. 

“Uncle Bossuet?” Leyna asked sweetly, turning towards him and frowning. 

“No.” Bossuet said, knowing exactly what she wanted. 

She frowned deeper but there was more than one target in the room. Turning to Enjolras, she opted for a charming little smile, “Uncle Enjolras can I play on your phone?” 

“Don’t let her!” Grantaire shouted from the other room and that doomed Enjolras. He reached into his pocket, unlocked his phone and leaned towards her. 

“What do you want to play?” 

“Well, what games do you have?” she asked, holding her hands out for the phone. Bossuet shut his eyes and didn’t see what game they landed on but after a moment, Enjolras leaned back into his corner and Leyna was kicking her  feet against the couch, content and delighted. 

You know, now that he didn’t have to put on a show of being Okay, he really did feel a bit terrible. He chuckled at the irony of collapsing from pneumonia and getting frost bite two weeks before Christmas. The chuckle turned into a cough and he sipped his cocoa when he got his coughing under control. 

Combeferre turned on the TV, some holiday baking show that Joly was going to be angry he was watching without him (what time of day was it? If this was a rerun he was fine). 

He zoned out and sipped his cocoa, which turned into a tea which turned into two. Honestly, he could get used to this. 

Bossuet glanced around the room to catch up on what developments he had missed. Feuilly was missing and Marius was sitting on a floor pillow next to the wall. He had something in front of him that looked like he was supposed to be sewing. Currently, he was ignoring it in favor of playing around on his phone. 

Marius glanced up from his phone the same moment Leyna did. They both tried to  hide the same up-to-no-good smile and, you know what, Bossuet was going to pretend he didn’t see that exchange. His attention went back to the  television and he let himself zone out again. 

Bossuet had exactly one technical challenge of peace before his phone rang. He answered it before  Leyna had the chance to. She frowned up at him and went back to Enjolras’ phone. 

There was absolutely no way she hadn’t screwed up his settings and changed his wallpaper to something she liked. Enjolras had absolutely no idea what he had signed up for when he relented and gave her the phone. 

“What the hell happened?” Jehan asked breathlessly into the phone. 

“Nothing, I was released and Enjolras is fine.” 

“You were released from where? Prison?” Jehan asked, with the same amount of incredulity in his voice as when he went on his three day Lord of the Rings binge in ‘13 and emerged from his room to find that Marius and Cosette were together, Courfeyrac broke up with his girlfriend, Feuilly had cut his hair and he no longer lived in Middle Earth. 

“What? I’m offended you’d even think that of me! I was released from the hospital.” 

“You were in the hospital! Are you okay? What about Enjolras? Why do you have to clarify that he’s fine?” 

“We’re both fine. I have frostbite and Enjolras broke his arm. What are you calling about?” Bossuet frowned, what on earth was going on now? He had just been released from the hospital. He was delicate and couldn’t take much more excitement. 

Jehan paused as if questioning everything, “Enjolras just made Grantaire and himself Facebook official?” 

Bossuet burst out laughing, “Leyna! You’re supposed to be playing games not going on Facebook!” 

“What did she do?” Enjolras asked, coming out of his daze but not taking the phone away from her. 

Feuilly walked into view from the kitchen and whipped out his phone. He laughed, “Not only did she make it Facebook official but she’s been responding to every comment with thank you. Pontmercy—why did you comment  _ congrats _ ? You’re literally sitting right here.” 

Pontmercy did nothing but laugh. Oh,  _ that’s  _ what Courfeyrac saw in him. 

Enjolras tilted his head back, “I don’t care. I’m on so many painkillers right now—“

“Jehan, we’re at Courfeyrac’s flat with the girls—Grantaire’s nieces and I think we’re ordering dinner.” 

“Of course we’re ordering dinner.” Enjolras sighed. He was going to be asleep before they even ordered at this rate. 

“Can we get empanadas?” Leyna asked in a tone that said she knew she was getting exactly what she wanted. 

“We can get whatever you want , mon chou” Enjolras said without looking up. Bossuet beamed at the glare Grantaire was sending Enjolras. Finally, someone who would spoil them more than him. He had been waiting for this day for ages. Now he could up his Uncle game while Grantaire’s attention was split. 

Whoever was playing music in the other room had switched to a holiday channel _ I'm dreaming tonight of a place I love even more than I usually do  _ drifted out to them and then Courfeyrac and Naelle were laughing _.  _ Bossuet snuggled up in the blankets, Leyna made sure to tuck his toes back under when he pulled the blanket too high. 

“How are you feeling?” she asked, putting Enjolras phone down to lean on him. 

“I’m fine, mon petite rayon de soleil.” 

She smiled up at him, “Go to sleep. I’ll get you your favorite for dinner and I’ll wake you up when it gets here.” 

“Don’t tell your uncle but I like you and Naelle more than him.” 

Leyna giggled and curled up next to him. 

In the other room Courfeyrac and Naelle were now singing along to the radio and Bossuet followed Enjolras’ example and shut his eyes for a nap. 


End file.
